


The Shaded Garden

by AngelGrace



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, F/F, Magical Girls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24549421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelGrace/pseuds/AngelGrace
Summary: Defending the world from Wraiths, the Magical Blossoms work hard for the sake of love, peace, and justice! They are the paragons of good, the unyielding defenders of light.This is not their story.This is the story of girls who turned their back to the light. Who chose to become monsters. Who determined to create their own world.This is the story of Hanako, a girl finding herself lost in the darkness, but not alone.
Kudos: 1





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> "This young girl's greatest fear isn't monsters. It isn't evil. It isn't even death. No, her greatest fear overshadows all of these.
> 
> Her greatest fear is to be alone."  
> \--TVTropes: Dark Magical Girl

It had been a long night, and it didn’t seem like it was going to get any shorter anytime soon. This was the path that she and her sisters had taken. The raven haired witch gently clasped her hand around the pendant she wore. She didn’t regret what she had become, the things she had done. If it meant a world they could live in, she’d commit every sin over again. She sighed, turning from the window. The four...no, the five of them would be heading out soon. Yet, somehow, the young witch couldn’t shake the feeling that she was leading the others into greater danger. 

* * *

  
_ Hazy images drifted across her mind: a shadow falling over her, a scream from the distance. Conversations she couldn’t quite understand, and then...something. Figures standing before her, approaching, and… _

The strange vision dissipated into the view of an unfamiliar ceiling, and the sensation of soft sheets under her body. Far softer than Hanako was used to. How had she gotten here?  _  
_   
“I still disapprove.” hearing a voice, Hanako shifted a bit. Her vision was still out of focus, but she could distantly see four girls standing in the corner, a little ways off from her. The one speaking had styled, wavy hair, wearing a simple dark dress tied off with a wide white ribbon at the waist. “You put a lot at risk on a snap decision. It’s not like you.”   
  
One of the others, with longer, straight black hair, and an elegant blouse tucked into a long, simple skirt, looked back towards Hanako. “...It wasn’t entirely off the cuff. We weren’t exactly heading towards a handy victory. At least we got something out of it.” The other two- one with pink hair in twintails and a poofy dress, and the second with short-cropped hair and torn shirt and pants- bowed their heads for a moment. Finally, the one in torn clothing spoke.   
  
“I’ll keep following your lead, Yui...it was a bad position to be in, but I have faith in you.”   
  
A darkness slowly settled over Hanako’s vision, the tallest of the group, the one with the long, black hair approaching her again…

* * *

“For a moment there, I thought you were actually awake.” Yui sighed and straightened up. “I suppose it can’t be helped.” she looked down at the girl laying in the bed. For the most part, utterly unremarkable, straight brown hair, simple clothing, but looped around her neck, resting on her chest, was a black pendant, pulsing with a dark aura. A pendant identical to the one hanging around Yui’s neck. “Regardless of the risk,” she glanced back at her fellow Dark Magical Girls. “The pendant has responded to her. Now it’s a matter of time, and looking after her.”

Fumiko folded her arms; of the four of them, she’d always been the most direct, so it wasn’t surprising that she was the one challenging Yui. “Which brings up another question. How  _ did  _ you know the pendant would respond to her? Stopping an entire battle for the sake of one girl…”   
  
The others turned to Yui, who merely smiled a bit. “Haven’t I been looking after us all this time? I’ve gained some instincts, a bit of intuition on our wayward sisters.” She turned her attention to the sleeping girl, carefully, affectionately even, brushing some hair out of her face.    
  
Sighing in frustration, Natsumi turned and left the room. Yui looked up, watching the scruffy girl leave. “I’ll go and speak with her. Fumiko, can I trust you to watch over our guest?” she asked, glancing over to the more elegant of the sisters, who merely nodded, watching Yui leave in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Most birds fly, but there are some species of flightless birds. [...] But their inability to fly does not trouble them in the least. On the contrary, perhaps the ones to be pitied are the birds who can fly, but kept in a cage."  
> \- Slaine Troyard, Aldnoah Zero

Once again, the world wavered into awareness, slowly focusing for Hanako. She’d been having another dream, right? Something about...Magical Girls? Yes, she was certain she had just seen a pitched battle between Darkness and Light, and-

“Oh! You’re awake!” A pink-haired head came into her view, eyes wide and excited. “Yui said it might take you awhile to recover, but I could tell you’re a fighter. Just like the rest of us.” Slowly, Hanako took in the girl before her. Twintails, tied off with red ribbons, which strongly contrasted the poofy black dress she was wearing. She was younger than Hanako was, and she could practically feel the energy coming off her. 

“Yuuka, let the poor girl breathe.” Another, calmer voice cut in. Hanako turned her head, her eyes falling on an older girl, leaning against the wall with her arms folded. She was wearing a similar dress to the one the girl called Yuuka was wearing, though hers was simplier, and tied off at the waist with a white ribbon. She seemed to be sizing up Hanako herself, and around her neck...actually around both the girls necks, was an identical pendant, in the shape of a black teardrop. “Still, it is impressive you awoke so quickly. Honestly, I thought Yuuka might get bored before you woke up.”

As Yuuka fumed, shaking her fist at the older girl, Hanako slowly sat up, feeling something shift against her neck and chest. Looking down, her hand closed around a pendant just like the ones the other two were wearing.    
  
“Please, don’t take that off.” the door opened, and a third girl entered. Like the rest of them, she was clad in a black dress, and wore the exact same pendant. She was clearly older than the rest of them, and with long, black hair that reached down her back, she projected an air of responsibility. “I understand you must have a lot of questions, but it’s very important that you do not remove that pendant.”

Hanako released the pendant, staring at the newly arrived girl. “Wait a moment…” the memory flashed across her mind. A Shade attack, two groups of magical girls fighting...and...her breath caught as she remembered being grabbed by one of them. And...hadn’t she seen Yuuka…? Her eyes went to the young girl, who had gone from fury to beaming in a moment as she stood in front of the bed Hanako was laying in.

The girl nodded, letting out a soft sigh as she approached the others, crouching a bit to brush some hair from Hanako’s face. “I’m sorry that you had to come to the manor this way. Normally, we try not to take girls in the midst of battle for this very reason. However, you...your...” she closed her eyes, bowing her head. “...your capture became a priority. We had to abandon our mission for you.”   
  


The girl leaning against the wall pushed herself up with an annoyed sound. “That’s right. Mistress isn’t going to be happy about that. She commited a lot to this operation. You shouldn’t act on your own, Yui.”   
  
Yui smiled a bit, glancing over her shoulder. “Leave Mistress to me. Besides, it’s not polite to argue in front of our guest.” she turned back to Hanako. “As I’m sure you just heard, my name is Yui. This is Yuuka…” she gestured at the young girl, who waved eagerly. “...and Fumiko.” the other girl sighed a bit and turned her head away. “Don’t worry, she’s actually nice when she warms up to you. Natsumi...is around here somewhere. I’m afraid she feels a little bad about what happened.”   
  
What  _ had  _ happened? The more she tried to recall, the hazier things were. Hanako shook her head, focusing her attention on Yui. “...did you kidnap me? Why don’t you want me to take this off, anyway?” she asked, lifting the pendant in her hand again. Holding it, she could feel a strange sensation, like a heat coming from an otherwise solid object. “You’re all wearing the same ones…”

Yui nodded, clasping her own pendant. “Yes. Hopefully that’s evidence enough for you that it’s not harmful. We don’t consider you a prisoner or captive, if that’s what you’re wondering. For the moment, you’re merely our...honored guest. I’m afraid I can’t answer too many questions about the pendants right now. You’ve just awoken, and I want to give you a chance to recover before we delve too deeply.”

That wasn’t enough for Hanako, who swung her legs over the bed and stood up, supporting herself on the frame. Yuuka backed away, her eyes wide, but Yui simply straightened up herself, watching Hanako. “That doesn’t seem like a good reason to me. You kidnapped me, and...I don’t know what happened before I arrived here, but you obviously had something to do with that, too. And I’m supposed to accept that this...whatever it is, you put around my neck, shouldn’t be removed on your say so?” her fingers tightened on the wood as she tried to keep herself from falling over.   
  
Yui nodded a bit, her eyes intent on Hanako. “You can barely stand as it is. That pendant around your neck is the reason you’re able to do this much. If you remove it now, before it’s finished attenuating to you, the damage to your body and mind will be irreversible. And yes.” she responded, to Hanako’s unasked question. “We did put it on you for our own purposes. That doesn’t change what will happen if you remove it. So. You can keep on trying to argue and fight with me, possibly hurting yourself beyond our ability to restore you...or you can get back into bed, rest, and let the process complete.” her expression softened, and she reached out to support Hanako. “It may not seem this way, but I know you’re frightened, and I don’t want to harm you. However...there are things I need to do. Everyone in this room understands that.” Hanako glanced around at Fumiko and Yuuka, both of whom were looking at her with pity now. Even Yuuka’s energy seemed to be dampened somewhat. “Asking you to trust me is too much right now, but at least accept, for the moment, that it’s in your best interest to listen to me.”

  
Hanako remained standing for a moment, holding Yui’s gaze...before she let out a breath and slumped down to sit on the bed. Even standing for a moment, with support, had sapped her of all her energy, and she soon laid back again. “What have you done to me?” she asked, defeat clear in her tone.   
  
Yui pulled the blanket up over her, a bit of sadness in her response. “I’m afraid I’ve given you a terrible burden to bear. Get some rest. Once you’ve recovered, I’ll try and give you a better idea of why you’ve been brought to the manor."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "This is for the best, right? If I want my wish to come true, I just have to obey you, right?"  
> \- Yukine Chris, Symphogear

Yui quietly closed the door behind her and Yuuka, turning around. There, standing before her, with an unreadable expression, was a woman in the garments of a sorceress, waiting for her.

“Yuuka. Go find Natsumi and let her know our guest is starting to recover, and Fumiko is looking after her.” Yui said, in a tone that brokered no argument. Yuuka didn’t have to be told twice, quickly walking, not running, down the hall to find their sister.

Once the girl was out of sight did Mistress speak. “Am I to assume that she’s accepted the pendant?” Yui blanched, glancing back at the door for a moment.

“She has. She’s frightened, confused...but the pendant has begun to attune to her. I was correct.”

Slowly, Mistress drew in a breath, pondering the ornate wood as if she could see the girl lying on the bed inside the room. “To merely stumble on another candidate...Yui...you’ve done well. While I am...displeased you lost your battle, acquiring her bodes well for our long term goals.” she patted Yui on the head with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “So, then. How long do you think it will take?”

“I’m not sure. When the process completes and she becomes a Dark Magical Girl, it will help her accept what we have to say. Considering the sort of girl she’d have to be in the first place for the pendant to respond to her…” Yui hesitated, pressing her lips together in thought. “But this is why you’ve entrusted me with as much as you have. I’ll make sure she understands her position. It only took the other girls a few days to realize the value in what you offer, Mistress. I promise,” she bowed slightly, her expression as confident as she could make it under the circumstances. “The faith you have in me is not misplaced.”

For a moment, the two stood in silence, Mistress still looking at the door. Finally, she drew herself back. “I’ll count on it, Yui. I’ve given you and your sisters this power because I saw what the rest of the world couldn’t.” a slight smile turned up the corner of her mouth, her fingers tracing over the pendant Yui wore. “I’ve granted you leeway in the affairs of the Dark Magical Girls. You haven’t disappointed me yet. I will await the sight of that girl accepting her place and aiding our mission. I should hope you won’t give me cause…” for a moment, she held the pendant between her finger and thumb. “To be saddened.” without so much as another word, she turned away, walking back to the study where she spent much of her time.

It felt like Yui could finally breathe after being submerged in icy water. Her hand went to her pendant, fingers clasped around it. “...why does this feel like a leash as much as a gift…” she wondered aloud. She turned her head, considering the girl in the room behind her. 

“A Dark Magical Girl...they have no way of understanding you. Mistress may not be warm, but she’s given us all a home. You’ll see, this isn’t so bad. Even if it means being a tool for her…” her fingers tightened around the pendant, and then she relaxed. Fumiko was watching over her. That was the one Yui would trust, if she couldn’t be there herself, and for the moment, she knew her new sister was going to need some space. In time, once she had attuned to the pendant, Yui would slowly ease her into the darkness alongside them.

That was the most merciful thing that girl could expect.


End file.
